Kipnis is Tribe’s best so far

Thinking about the Tribe at the All-Star break.

Best player: It’s Jason Kipnis, and it’s not even close. He’s batting .301 (.897 OPS) with 13 homers and 57 RBIs. He has stolen 21 bases. He has three bunt hits. He leads the team in doubles and triples. He plays with a passion loved by fans and teammates. He could end up hitting .300 with at least 20 homers, 80 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. Big time.

About time: Kipnis is the first player drafted and developed by the Tribe farm system to make an All-Star team since C.C. Sabathia (1998, first round). Others signed as amateur free agents (such as Victor Martinez and the former Fausto Carmona/now Roberto Hernandez) have been All-Stars.

Best surprise: Corey Kluber. Who knew that he’d be 7-5 with a 3.88 ERA? He didn’t make the rotation out of spring training. He is 27 and had a career 2-5 record with a 5.35 ERA in 15 games. Even his minor league numbers (43-49, 4.39 ERA) were underwhelming. But his fastball is in the middle 90s and he has struck out 94 compared to 22 walks.

He makes me smile: I love how Scott Kazmir (5-4, 4.60) has revived his career. He was done in 2011, walking 20 and plunking six batters in 15 innings at Class AAA before being cut. Few pitchers find their way back from that dark side of the baseball moon where all confidence is gone.

He’s delivered: Justin Masterson (10-7, 3.72 ERA) is having an All-Star season after being 11-15 with a 4.93 ERA in 2012. Manager Terry Francona came into the season believing Masterson could pitch like this, and he has been reliable in most of his starts.

Can’t explain: Not only has Ubaldo Jimenez won seven games (7-4, 4.56 ERA), but the Tribe is 13-6 when he starts. He’s averaging only 51/3 innings per start as he tends to run up his pitch count. He’s much better than a year ago (9-17, 5.40), but it’s hard to have much confidence when he takes the mound. But he has pitched well enough to stay in the rotation.

I’m worried: About Vinnie Pestano (1-2, 4.45 ERA). No matter what he says, it seems something is either wrong with his arm or his motion, because the velocity and movement on his pitches are down from a year ago. The Indians are going to need Cody Allen to help Joe Smith in late-inning relief.

Not the same: But Chris Perez is 13-of-15 in saves. His ERA is 3.04 and he’s fanned 26 in 262/3 innings, so he still has some zip. Perez is still a respectable big-league closer, and is one of the keys to the second half.

Should be better: Bryan Shaw throws in the middle 90s, but is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA. And that comes after a rather strong start to the season. He should be an effective middle reliever with his stuff. He does need to pitch inside more often.

Biggest disappointment: It’s between Carlos Carrasco and Nick Swisher. I’m going with Carrasco because he was suspended (again) for throwing at a hitter. He has the most physically gifted arm on the staff, but is 0-4 with a 9.10 ERA. At the age of 26, now is the time to grab a spot in the rotation.

He’s needed: Swisher is hitting .242. His OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) is .750, fourth on the team behind Ryan Raburn (.908), Kipnis (.897), Carlos Santana (.848) and Yan Gomes (.770). He is second on the team in walks (46), but the Indians need more run production. He has only nine homers, 31 RBI and has a team-low .224 with runners in scoring position.

May improve: Since coming back from the minors, Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .280 (21-of-75) with three homers and 14 RBI. They need him to take over third base.

Upon further review: Forget Chisenhall against lefties, he’s 3-of-33 (.111). So Mark Reynolds (.223, 6 HR in 94 ABs vs. lefties) can play in those games. But the Tribe doesn’t need Reynolds at third every day.

About the lefties: The Tribe was 18-35 vs. lefties last season, the record is 17-14 in 2013. But the two top hitters? That’s Michael Bourn (.316) and Kipnis (.312), and both bat left-handed.

Most consistent: Michael Brantley has played in more games than anyone else. He’s second with 48 RBIs, and is a team-best .366 with runners in scoring position. Some fans wonder why Francona occasionally bats Brantley cleanup. It’s because he delivers in the clutch. He can bat anywhere in the order, and never complains.

So hard to watch: You knew it, Mark Reynolds. He batted .318 with six homers and 17 RBI in April. Since then, it’s .181 with nine homers and 30 RBI. Still waiting for another hot streak as those strikeouts pile up.

Quietly clutch: Jason Giambi is hitting .357 with runners in scoring position. The .200 batting average is lame, but his power numbers and walks are productive.

As advertised: Bourn is a good center fielder. He’s batting .290 as a leadoff man, with 13 stolen bases. He leads the Tribe with 16 infield hits, next is Drew Stubs with seven.

Also as advertised: Francona is a steady hand in dugout, a man who connects with players and has the respect of everyone from the front office to the bat boy.

Better than expected: Stubbs (.244, 7 HR, 35 RBIs) has played an excellent right field and is very strong in center. He hit .213 for the Reds, who gave up on him at the end of last season. Stubbs is much better (.280) vs. lefties than righties (.224). He runs extremely well, hustles on every play.

Never would have thought: Raburn has 10 homers in 150 at-bats, hitting .267. This is the same Raburn who was cut by the Tigers after hitting .171 with one homer in 205 at-bats last season.

Wish I knew: How Zach McAllister (4-5, 3.45) will pitch. He has been out for nearly two months with a finger injury. He is supposed to be close to returning.

I like how he plays: Mike Aviles is the type of gritty, versatile infielder that any good team needs.

Who knows? Early in the season, I thought Trevor Bauer would help after the All-Star break. Now, his motion is a mess and he missed his last AAA start. Now, the best hope in the second half for rotation help is Danny Salazar.

Terry Pluto is a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.